Batman vppon Bartholome his booke De proprietatibus rerum, newly corrected, enlarged and amended: with such additions as are requisite, vnto euery seuerall booke: taken foorth of the most approued authors, the like heretofore not translated in English. Profitable for all estates, as well for the benefite of the mind as the bodie. 1582.

Of Deafenesse. Chap. 21.

DEafnesse is priuation and let of hearing,* 1.1 that is the gate of the inwit, as Constantine sayth. Sometime it happeneth, that the hearing is all with∣drawen and lost, and then it is proper∣ly called deafnesse, and commeth of hu∣mours, that stoppe the sinewes of hea∣ring, and the hoales of the eares: Inso∣much that no manner noise may come therin: And sometime by lesse humours it is some deale taken away, and then it is called thicknesse of hearing.

Somtime there is noyse therein and ringing, so that the patient weeneth, that he be fast by a mill, or by organes: and this commeth of great and thicke vento∣sitie closed within. And sometime this is continuall: and then it commeth of some priuie and speciall cause. And som∣time it commeth and goeth, and then it commeth of some farre cause. Somtime for stopping, nothing is heard outward, but the hearing is set a worke with in∣ward things:* 1.2 so that the patient weeneth, that the noyse be without, that hée heareth, though it be within, and so the hearing is deceiued. In many other wise mans hearing is let. Sometime in the eare is ache or a postume, and commeth of heate that dissolueth and dealeth, or of colde that reueth and constrayneth. And if it come of heate, the ache is sharpe, & the place is redde: hot things grieue, & colde helpeth. And if it come of colde, the ache is heuie and grieuous, and the place is pale: colde things grieue, & hot things helpe. Sometime it commeth of an hot postume, and then with the foresayde signes and tokens is a strong feaver Al∣way with a postume of y^e eare commeth a Feauer, but more lyght and with lesse ache, when colde is the cause, then when heate is the cause. Sometime is lefte in the eare, a wound of an olde Postume, and that is knowen by ache and by tic∣kelyng, and also by quitter that runneth out thereof.* 1.3 Sometime wormes bréede in the eares, of hot humors and clammy, by inclosing of the spirite of life: the to∣kens of wormes is itching and tickling, and sometime they be seene in the eares, if the eare be set in the Sunne. Some∣time the ach commeth of outward cause, as of entring therein of water or of gra∣uell. And sometime of smiting, the to∣ken whereof is bléeding. But sometime it commeth of superfluitie of bloud, and straightnesse of the place. Vnde Con∣stantinus: If bloud commeth sodainly out of the eares, and without ache, and without cause openly knowen: it be∣tokeneth that somewhat is in the head, that kinde laboureth to put out, and tra∣uayleth therefore, then in the beginning it néedeth that the eares be cleansed.

Séeke other passions of the eares, spo∣ken of before, in li. 3. de Auditu, & li. 3. de Aure. for there this matter is great∣ly treated of. Then if the ache of y^e eare, commeth of heate & without a postume, the helpe is with colde medicines, and alteratiues: for the sore place shall bée baumed w^t oyle of roses or of vyolets, and with such other. Such Oyles luke warme shall be dropped into the eares. And if it come of cold & without a Po∣stume: the cure is with hot alteratiues, as with Oleo ••••urino, Ruta••io, & other such. And if it be with a hot Postume: then men must worke first with colde maturatiues, rippings, and then w••••h mundificatiues: and in a contrary cause we must vse contrary medicines. And if the postume be broke, which is knowen by the running of the quitter, then first the wound shall be cleansed, and then healed and closed. The cleansing thereof is with honie meddeled with wine, and dropped therein. It is healed and closed with powder of Frankencense and Ma∣sticke, and other such. If wormes bée therein, or come thereto: then bitter ioyce shall be dropped therein, as of per∣sile, or of wormwood, and of leeke. Also bitter oyle of bitter Almondes shall bée dropped in, into the eare: with such me∣dicines Wormes be slayne, and when they be rotted, they come out with quit∣ter. And if grauell come into the eare, it must be wiselye drawen out: and if it may not be, the eares shall be baulmed with hot oyntment, and men shall excite snéesing, or sucke it out, or drawe it out with an horne, or with a cupping-cup. To put off deafenesse or at lest to be re∣léeued, many things helpe, that Constan∣tine speaketh of: but among all, Balsa∣mum dropped into the eare helpeth best, but yet if deafenesse be from the birth, it is vncurable. Also if it dureth 3. yeres, vnneth it is holpe. The ringing of the eares that commeth of ventositie, shall be holpe with things that extenuate vē∣tosities, as with Anneis, Calament, Ori∣gon, and such other: with stiffeling ther∣of ringing of eares is holpe. This suffi∣ceth to speake of the passions of y^e eares, and of remedies at this time.

* 1.4Also three causes there are of this impediment that may come to a man: by nature, if so not curable: the second, by some stroke, which hauing ouer∣stunned the powers, will hardlye bee recouered: The thirde by humor the which doeth opilate and stoppe the Organes of hearing, there is cure, take the gall of an Hare, mixe it with the greace of a Foxe, and with blacke wooll, install this into the eare, also the fat of an E••le, and also take the iuyce of wormewood, temper it with a Bulls gall, and so in blacke wooll stoppe the eare, &c.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cophosis Surditas Deafnesse
• * 1.2

  Thinketh or suppo∣seth.
• * 1.3

  Matter.
• * 1.4

  Addition